


The Book of Mercenaries

by KingPepper



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars - All Media Types, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/F, Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:13:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26995717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingPepper/pseuds/KingPepper
Summary: A pair of deadly Mercenaries travel the world, taking most of any jobs that come along their way, as long as it paid well. With years behind their belts, their reputation is held in high regard in their home nation and with forces outside Gailiy's borders on the brink of war, Reputation is a commodity they will sorely need.And as they travel from town to town, city to city, nation to nation with an ever-looming threat perpetually over their heads, threatening them from every angle, their relationship will grow. But the question remains: into what?This is their Story.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Kudos: 4





	1. "The Beginning"

Thunderclaps sound off overhead as rain pelts down in lumps, splashing in the partially flooded cobblestone streets of Ursus, Ordean's capital city. A usually hot and humid place, the state is home to far more extreme weather than to what is seen outside its borders. As a result, the people born and raised here are hardier than those found in neighbouring countries. This did not bother the tall, lone figure standing in a side alley, who seemed to take no notice of the torrential downpour as her eyes rapidly scanned the streets, her long, hooded grey trench coat protecting her from the elements. Her eyes eventually settled on a building opposite her. The Iron City Inn. A rather popular place by most standards. But she was not here to have a drink.

Stepping out of the passage, she strode across the streets, her near knee-high combat boots alerting people to her presence, with them quickly making way for the large woman. Coming to a stop, she was barely able to hear sounds of commotion coming from inside. Opening the doors, anything that might have been happening stopped, as all the patrons turn their heads to see the new arrival. A few gasps sound out and quiet murmuring breaks out. Briefly looking around, her eyes land on what was causing the ruckus. Near the back and not too far from the bar counter, a trio of mercenaries appear to have been harassing a young man. And of course, it just had to be the bounty she was after.

Looking closer, the woman noticed that the three comprised of two men of average size, with one being slightly larger and a very large and very hairy minotaur, who was more than likely used as the muscle and intimidation factor of the group. And they seemed to know why she was there.

"Na chto ty smotrish?" The man said, jumping slightly as he addresses the woman.

Taking her eyes off of the scene before her, she walked towards the bar, all eyes either being on the new arrival or the trio. Looking at the table, the man indicates to a fallen tankard, an irritated look on his harsh features.

"ty prolil moy napitok."

Uttering not a single word, she continues over to the bar, seemingly unaffected by the intense stares she was receiving. Once there, she placed her hands on the counter, letting most of her weight rest on her arms.

"Privet! Svoloch’!"

Ignoring the dirty insult, she simply let a sigh escape her lips, disregarding the demeaning words the man spat.

"ya skazal. Ty prolil. Moy napitok." The leader said, getting in the woman's ear.

"He said you spilt his drink." The bartender said. The woman didn't react, an action that seemed to get on the nerves of the apparent leader, who let out a low growl.

Looking over to his lackeys, the leader jerks his head slightly, the minotaur quickly letting go of the young man, bouncing him slightly off the table and onto the floor as he and the other men make their way towards their target.

"It's ok, it's on the house." The barkeep said as he turns away, getting another tankard. The leader reaches to his thigh and grabs a knife out it's sheathed.

"Vy deystvitel' no yeye?" He said as he scraped his dagger across her armoured chest, no mark being left behind and a small amount of spark flying onto the counter. The minotaur bumps into her from the left, letting out a slow growl as the other man stopped just beside him.

"Here." looking up, the bartender held a new tankard in his hand. Sliding it across, the leader puts his hand out to catch it. That's when she acted.

Putting her hand out, she grabbed the metallic mug and placed her boot on the front of the bar, and pushed the mercenaries off of her. Ramming the metal tankard into the skull of the man to her left, a resounding crack sounded out as he crumbled to the ground in an unconscious bloodied mess, the tankard bent and dented to be used further. Dropping the tankard, she grabbed the beard of the minotaur and slammed his head into the edge of the bar counter, he too falls to the ground with a thud.

The leader, clearly not happy, tries to take a stab at her throat. Catching his arm, she spun round slightly, quickly positioning it over over her right shoulder and bring it down with a resounding snap as his arm bent unnaturally. Twisting around, she punched him square in his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He flies back a few feet, landing in a heap on his back, wheezing as he clutched his newly broken arm. Hearing shuffling behind her, the woman whipped around on her heel and spot the minotaur trying to crawl away. Throwing out her arms, a wire coming out of each gauntlet, locking themselves around the minotaur's waist and neck. Grunting, she heaved him towards her and when he was in range, she stepped to her left slightly and flung her right arm out, close lining the poor bastard to the floor, he too being knocked out cold.

Looking back to the leader and with two long strides, she stood over him and stared down at him, while the man held up a shaky hand in surrender. Reaching into the inside of her coat, she pulled out a white piece of paper and flung at the man beneath her.

"Chtob tebe deti v’sup srali." She said, her voice deeper than most, making her large stature more apparent. Walking over the man, not even giving him the honour of looking at him.

Looking back to the young man, who was just now picking himself off the floor, the woman walks towards him. He had clearly taken a bit of a beating before her arrival. He had a cut above his left eye, a few of his teeth were missing and his nose had clearly been broken. But he was still very much alive.

"You...you really did me a favour there friend, thank you." He said, pulling himself up, rubbing his head as she stands before him.

Reaching down to her belt, she pulls out a beige leather cylinder and unscrewed the cap, and pulled out a piece of rolled-up paper. Placing it on the table, she rolled it out flat to reveal a picture of the man's face with a hefty sum of money listed beneath it. The man looked from it to the woman, to the paper and back again.

"Is...is that me?" He said with a slight chuckle. "L...look. I...I can get more credits-"

"You have two options here." The woman said, quickly cutting the man off from attempting to bribe her. "I can bring you in warm-" she reached down to a thick dagger holstered on her belt and unclip it. "-or I can bring you in cold. Your choice."

* * *

As the woman walked down the street, her grip held firm on the restraints around the young man's wrists. Thankfully, he had decided to come with her peacefully. Possibly due to the fact he knew he had better chances living past his current age with her than with anyone else. Coming up to the cities front gates, the guards opened them with a word and the two continued on and out past the city limits.

"Where are you taking me?"

She did not answer as they trekked down the dirt pathway. Soon, they began hearing voices ahead of them. The woman kept her unbothered nature as the man began feeling anxious as the voices got louder the farther they went. Eventually, they came across a group of people who looked to have been waiting for quite a while. As they approached, the man noticed the insignia on their shoulder and realized who they were. They were Freelancers, something akin to a travelling police force. As they came up to the group, they finally seemed to notice their presence.

"Took you long enough," One of them said impatiently. "I'm fuckin' soakin' here!"

"What can I say? Fucker was harder to find than I expected." She replied.

"Well, at least _you_ found him." The Chief said.

"Why do you think I charge such high prices?" She said, pushing the man towards the group.

"Well, here's what we agreed." He said, chucking a leather purse to the woman.

Catching it, she quickly bounced the purse in her hand, nodding satisfied with what she was given. Walking past the group, who were pushing the man into the back of a jail carriage and approached a lone horse a few metres away. Upon seeing her, it seemed to get excited, bobbing its head as she approached. Rubbing its nose as she passed, she quickly hopped onto its back. Without another word, she rode off to her final destination of the day. Home.

* * *

After hours had passed of non-stop travel, she finally came to a stop outside of Kain, a town found a half-mile out from the border of Coredon. A pleasant place by all accounts and it was her and her partner's new place of residence, as their previous one had burned down. But that is neither here nor there. Walking a worn path with her horse not far behind, she moved past the large bonsai trees and saw her home.

It was a simple, one storey Minka, it's various shades of brown creating a homely feel to it. Leading her horse to its paddock, it was happily greeted by another, the two nuzzling heads before heading farther inside, away from the biting cold of the outside. Making her way inside, her nose was assaulted by the smell of pastry and crab filling the air. With her mouth positively drooling, she slid the shoji aside, ducking slightly as she entered. Traversing the warm home, her ears were greeted by the sound of soft singing as she got closer to the kitchen. Finally, she found the source of the heavenly smell and it was none other than her partner in crime. K'teera. Turning, she happily greeted the tall woman with her usual jovial optimism.

She was a woman of smaller stature but was well built to make up for it, with her blue, knee-high sleeveless robe-Esque attire barely hiding her chiselled physique, though her baggy joggers do hide her thick legs. Her darker skin lacked most of any imperfections seen on others, something she accounts as genetic with her jet black hair always pulled into a neat bun.

"Great timing Tora!" K'teera said with a smile. "I was just finished dinner."

"What is it tonight?" she asked.

"Crab rangoon." She replied. "You always were a fan of my seafood."

Kneeling at the Chabudai, 'Tora' patiently waited for the food to be served, while K'teera prepares the meal. As the two sit, they eat in silence, the only noise being their chewing and the occasional sound of bowls clattering on the small table. Once finished with their meal and with the dishes finished, this allowed the two to catch up.

"So I take it you didn't need my help?" K'teera asked.

"No," Tora replied. "Though he was harder to track down than I initially anticipated."

"Told ya I should have been there," K'teera remarked, taking a small sip of her peppermint tea. "Would have cut the time in half."

"I'm sure you would have." Tora conceded with a sigh. "That being said, I was paid rather handsomely."

Picking up the nearby leather purse, K'teera felt the weight of it and was satisfied with what she found.

"This should do up a well enough for a week," K'teera said.

"If we ration it out," Tora replied. "Damn prices are being raised every day."

K'teera simply hummed in response, happily sipping on her tea as she watched the sun disappear through the tree line, casting a pleasant orange glow over the room. With a grunt, Tora stood suddenly, stretching her back eliciting loud pops and cracks. Turning to her partner, she yawned loudly before speaking.

"Well, it's been a long day." She started. "I'm gonna head to bed early. See you in the morning."

"Good night!" K'teera said with a wave. "Sweet dreams."

And with that, Tora left, quickly finding herself snuggled tightly within her futon and was sound asleep soon after, ready for the trials and tribulations of the day to come. The next day being a mystery in what it would bring.


	2. "Murder In The Hamlet"

_"And in other news, today marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the rule of Lord Isheen Arigata, who is widely believed to be the longest-ruling Monarch of Gailiy. As the people celebrate, they eagerly await the appearance of their beloved ki-"_

"Can you believe this?" Tora said, quickly turning off the radio with a huff. "The man almost caused three wars, two of which would have been worldwide, and yet people revere him like he's the best thing since sliced bread."

I could only hum in mild, half-assed agreement, not fully paying attention to Tora's words, my mind occupied with the hardwood tongue drums in front of me. Tora seemed to notice this, as she softly sat on a small nearby chair, it's wooden frame creaking slightly under her weight.

"Are even listening to what I'm saying?" She asked. "How can you be so passive about all this?"

Finally taking my eyes off my drums, I took notice of Tora's appearance. Her light, almost pale skin shone softly in the rays of the early morning sun. Her short, light brown hair was mostly dried off and a large towel hid her equally large frame. Taking a moment to gather my thought, I twist my body slightly and addressed her question.

"A king's time rises and falls like the sun. Given time, the sun will fall on his rule and rise on another." I replied softly.

"I may be overlooking something,” Tora said. "What do you mean?"

Turning back to my drums, I continue playing, this time much softer, closing my eyes as the instrument fuels my explanation.

"Nothing is permanent. You, me, and Isheen are no different from each other. He is not an exception and he never will be." I start. "With time, we will see his rule end before we do ourselves. Give enough patience, a new Lord will rise when Isheen falls. Patience, after all, is a virtue."

A contemplative look took over Tora's face as my words were processed and slowly her face softens as she understood what I meant. She stood as a smile crosses her lips and starts to leave, stopping as she comes to the door frame and turns to look back.

"I forget how wise you can be." She said.

Turning back, she finally leaves without another word, leaving me to my thoughts. Her footsteps suddenly stopped and her head pops back in seconds later, a look of disbelief on her face.

"You took that whole sun thing from a movie didn't you?" She asked.

"What can I say, I'm a stickler for pop culture," I smile.

* * *

Walking the streets of the small town, we were eagerly greeted by the stall workers as they try their best to sell their wares to us as everyone else simply moved out of the way. Ignoring them and continuing, we soon found ourselves in front of their destination: The Contract. The little 'shop' served as our go-to for well-paying jobs, if we weren't directly contacted.

Pushing the double doors aside, we made our way in, the few inside the shop proper paying us no mind, having grown accustomed to our presence. Walking farther in and towards the back, a stationed guard stood in front of a single, lone door. Briefly flashing the guard stationed there our sigil, he stepped aside and allowed us to pass through. Walking through, we found ourselves in the office of the man who ran the shop, who thankfully happened to be in.

The man was rough, for a lack of a better term. His hair was scraggly and unkempt, held back by a dark green bandana over his forehead, matching the green of his overcoat. His beard faired no better and held the same qualities as his hair. As we approach, the man looks from his parchment and he gains a look of vexed expectancy.

"Took you two long enough." He said, his voice too was rough, a heavy western drawl soaking each word. "So what can ol' uncle Derro do for ya today?"

'Derro' was an oddity, to say the least. No one knew his real name or age and most believed he didn't have a name, using Derro as an epithet as appose to an actual name. That, and he appeared out of nowhere, setting up shop as a guerdon seller for bounty hunters or job seller for mercenaries. And he never seemed to run out of either.

"Don't play these games Derro, you know why we're here."

"Oh." He said, putting up his gauntleted hands, the rope wrapped around them falling slightly when he did. "I would never play games with you Tora. Trust."

"Just give us our job Derro," I said.

Shrugging, he reached under the table, sweeping his overcoat out of the way, the leather belt which held his firearm squeaking as he moved and pulled out a scroll. Rolling it out flat on the table, Tora picked it up and quietly inspected it.

"That came in jus' last night." He said.

"An investigative job? Haven't done one of these in a while." Tora said. "Says there was a murder in a small fishing island just off the coast of Coredon? Hmm. Don't know it."

"I know the place!" I chimed in. "Went there a few times when I was little."

"So what do you know?" Tora asked.

"Happened to a half-elf named 'Serrith'." He replied. "And you'll be lookin' for a cat by the name 'Juro for anything related to the job. Don't got much else other than that."

"Serrith. Why does that name sound familiar?" I whispered to myself.

"So what'll it be girls?" Derro asked. "Takin' it or what?"

Tora and I look to each other for a few seconds before nodding, turning back to the ragged vagabond in front of us.

"Yea, we'll take it," Tora replied.

"Good," Derro responded. "Your payment will be waitin' here for when you're done."

Fitting the parchment snuggly inside her leather-bound metal cylinder, we quickly turn to leave without another word, only to be stopped when we heard the Derro's voice speak up.

"You girls are gonna wanna be careful on those waters." He stated ominously. "There's a lotta' talk of ships goin' missin' around those parts. Stay safe."

Walking out of the shop and down the busy agora, we quickly make our way to our home, assembling a shortlist of equipment we would need and swiftly went from room to room in routine like a well-oiled clock, gathering said equipment and packing them away. In what felt like no time at all, we found ourselves by our horses, fully kitted and booted for the job and with a few extras on the side for precaution. Looking over myself, I triple check I had my essentials. Messer? Check. Dagger? Check. Firearm? Check. Coin purse? Check.

"You have everything you need?" Tora asked.

"Yup," I reply. "Everything is secure."

"Good." She nods. "because we should leave as soon as possible."

Hopping up onto my saddle, we double-check our stuff to make sure everything was present and counted for, and that it was safe and secure and wasted no time in leaving, our resolves steeled for the journey ahead.

The long hours preceding our departure felt like a slow march, the early morning steadily making way for the late evening sun, the landscape before us gradually being washed in a warm orange glow. The journey had mostly been spent in silence, neither of us attempting to make small talk. The sun then descended the far horizon, the light dissipating to make way for the tranquil dark of night. With a full day worth of non-stop travelling and little to no stop, our horses were tired and we wouldn’t make it to Coredon’s port until the next day, so we decided to stop and camp by the road for the night.

It didn’t take long to set up a safely lit fire,

Looking to the sky above, I quietly gaze up at the stary sky, the glimmering lights bringing a smile to my face.

"So you said you know the fishing hamlet we're going to?" Tora asks suddenly. "Anything I should know before we get there?"

Looking over to my partner, I quickly rack my brain for any piece of information that could prove to be crucial.

"Only that, since that the place is beyond its borders, the hamlet is technically outside Gailiy jurisdiction, despite being off its coast," I reply.

"That would explain why they sent us a formal job than contacting a Gailiy investigative specialist. Or even Freelancers" She said. "In any case, it’s getting late. Get some rest.”

“Good night,” I said.

“Good night.”

* * *

Packing everything away, we left our temporary campsite, leaving no sign we had been there prior. We left in the early hours of the morning, sleeping for no more than six to seven hours. The night was an uneventful one, thankfully, and we were on the road without a hitch. Riding on, the venture was much like the one the day before. The dawn leisurely turned to late afternoon, half the day went by before I truly noticed.

"We're near the port," Tora said suddenly.

"How can you tell?"

"See for yourself," She replied, pointing ahead of us.

Following her finger, I saw that we were indeed near the port and I realized I could barely make out the hustle and bustle of the seaside marketplace. We shortly found ourselves on the dock, placing our horses in a nearby stable for a relatively modest fee. The dock itself was as impressive as I vaguely remembered it being, with many of the wooden buildings being sturdily built, the abundance of storefronts and stall overlapped by colourful drapes, the attendants trying their best to sell their goods to any of who pass by. Walking amongst the multitude of fish-filled barrels, we both keep an eye and ear out for any who might be able to assist us, doing our utmost to ignore the unsavoury looks we had been receiving since our arrival.

Eventually, we realize wandering wasn't doing us any favours and decided to go to what is universally known to be a sailor's hot spot: the local tavern. After a fairly lengthy search, we finally found what we were looking for, much to Tora's relief, a comparatively small tavern by the name: The Golden leaf. Wasting no time at all, we swiftly push the aside, flinching back slightly as the smell of pure alcohol assaulted our noses, our eyes watering as a result. Steeling ourselves, we push against the stench and advance farther in.

This place, visually speaking, was a stark contrast to the sheer pung escaping outside. The wooden planked floor had been polished to the point of shine, the tables polished to the same level of sheen, with the red carpet underfoot equally well maintained. The candled chandelier hanging overhead lacked any form cobwebs or anything akin to it. All in all, it was a very clean and well-kept establishment. Walking up to the bar counter, we didn't have to wait long before the bartender came to see what we wanted.

"Whit can ah get ye?" He asked, absent-mindedly cleaning a tankard in his hand, his voice practically dripping with a deep, thick highland brogue.

"You wouldn't happen to know where we might be able to barter for a ship to the nearby hamlet, would you?" Tora asked, leaning against the countertop.

"Aye, ah wid." He said after a moment of consideration. "Bit there's naw many ships goin' oot that way anymair. "

He hums as he shakes his head slowly. "Somethin' aboot tha' place jus' disnae feel right."

"Can you at least point us to someone who will?" I ask.

Pointing past us, we follow his finger and our eyes quickly land on a lone man, seated at a single booth near the back. His long fabric coat was frayed and bore many holes near its bottom. His trousers and leather boots were not spared, baring many of the same markings, they too warn and dirty. He honestly looked more comparable to a pirate Captain than a fisherman or merchant.

"He's the only one that can take us there?" Tora asks.

"Aye." The bartender said. "Or at least he's th' ainlie yin brave enough tae tak' ye thare ."

Sighing, Tora leaves without another word, her long legs swiftly carrying her to the sailor near the back.

"Thank you for your help," I say, placing a silver coin on the counter before leaving.

"Aye." He replies, taking the coin and going back to whatever it was he was doing before.

Stepping away from the bar, I come to my partner side, who had been patiently waiting for me to catch up and we both make our way to the man in the stall. Staring down at the drink his hand, he seems to take little notice of our approach or just simply did not care. As we drew closer, we both grab a nearby a chair each and set them near the table, the clatter seemingly knocking the mn out his daydream.

"We heard you might be able to take us to the hamlet just off the coast," I say, the man now fully aware of our presence.

"I might be. But if you would answer a little question." He said. "Why would you want to go there in the first place?"

"There was a murder there and we're here to investigate it," Tora replies. "All we need is to get there."

"Ah, of course." He said. "Yea, I can get you there."

Rising from our seats, we get out of his way as he places a single gold piece on the table, quickly exiting the partially cramped booth, beelining for the front exit. Just as we open doors, the bartender catches our attention, shouting after us as we barely make out his words.

"Dinnae say ah didnae warn ye!" He said while the doors slowly close behind us, the bustle of the bar muffling as we further ourselves from it.

Looking to each other, me and Tora shrug and think nothing of it, quietly agreeing that it was just rumour's that got the man so worked up and went along our way.

Following closely behind our 'sailor', we walk along the edge of the wooden expansion of the dock, the extension working its way out several metres to the sea. Looking out to the horizon, I quickly spot what I assume to be the hamlet we were going to. Thick clouds permeate over the top of it, equally thick rainfall partially obscuring it, its outline barely being the only thing I was able to make out, with any real detail blending in with the dark grey mass. I was abruptly taken back from my observations as I walk into Tora's back, the other two having apparently stopped.

"Now, before we go any further," He started. "there is the matter that needs sorting."

"We can pay you for your services if that's what you're referring to," Tora replied.

"No." He said firmly. "I make this trip every other day taking people to and from, I do not need payment for taking another two souls."

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulls out a small tin and opens it to reveal a golden-yellow paste. Raising my eyebrow, I look at him quizzically as he dips his finger into it.

"My men are superstitious, though it is not wholly unfounded," He starts. "And they believe that when a particular rune is written on a person's neck, it protects them from the sea."

"Do you think it works?" I ask.

"Well it puts them at ease, so I would say yes."

Once again looking at each other, me and Tora shrug and crane our necks to the side, wordlessly agreeing to the Captain's terms. Writing the rune on our necks, the cold paste sent a shiver down my spine as goosebumps quickly spread over my body, the hair on my neck standing on end. Stepping away from us, the Captain continues down, the wooden planks underfoot creaking slightly as we pass. Eventually, we found ourselves standing in front of a moderately sized ship.

"So that'll get us to the hamlet?" Tora asked.

"Yes, it will." The Captain said before walking up the plank to the ship, the two of us not far behind.

* * *

Below the deck, Tora and I sit in the room we had been assigned. Tora sat quietly on the bed cross-legged, her eyes closed while she breathed slowly. I, on the other hand, clung tightly to the only chair in the room, my knuckles turning white from the pressure as I fought hard to swallow the bile that sat in the back of my throat, threatening to spill from my stomach.

"You really hate sailing don't you?" Tora said.

"I just wish it would end soon," I said, before clamping my mouth shut with my hand, pushing the throw-up back down my gullet, a shiver running down my spine when it did. "The sooner we get off this ship, the better."

"Then consider yourself lucky the weather isn't stormy," Tora replied, opening her eyes, placing her hands on her knees. "It shouldn't be long until we make landfall. But until then..."

Standing, she steps over to her bag and kneels, opening it and rummaging through it quietly. Pulling out a cup, some die and a few pieces of paper, she grabs the table in the room and drags it over in front of me and sits on the edge of the bed. Looking at her quizzically as she places a towel on the table, I see what is on the paper and realize what she is trying to do.

"I remember you like to play Yahtzee when you get worked up." She said, placing a sheet in front of me. "So I decided to bring it, just on the off chance this would happen."

Scooting myself forwards, a smile works its way onto my face as I try my best to take my mind off the uneven and sickening rocking of the ship and release my death grip on my chair, fully intending on focusing on the game.

"I know I already asked this," Tora said as she through the six die onto the towel. "But what can you tell me about the hamlet?"

"There's not much to tell," I reply. "Not a lot happens there. And if anything does happen, it's small and insignificant."

"Is that all?"

Thinking hard, I scrape the back of my mind, trying to think of something, anything really, that could be of any sort of help. Then I remembered something.

"Well, I heard there have been rumoured sightings of Ezlizon ships being spotted in the area," I said. "That could be of significance."

"Ezlizon ships? As in, part of Zhaela's war fleet?" She asked. "What would they be doing out here?"

"I don't know," I reply. "But I doubt it's anything good."

We passed the last few hours on our game, tieing the vast majority of the time, seeing as it is a game of pure chance. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, there was a chap on the door, the Captains head poking in as he relayed his news.

"We will be docking soon."He said. "I suggest you get ready."

Ending our fourth game and saving it for a later date, we quickly get everything together and make our way out the room, following the tight corridor to a small flight of stairs and walked up, opening the hatch to the deck and were greeted to nothing but grey. My previous observations were correct it would seem. The clouds overhead were dark and rough, the sheer bleakness being almost sombre and the sun slowly lowering itself over the horizon didn't help matters. There was a slight light pitter-patter on the floorboards as the rain fell from the sky, hinting to the heavy rain to come.

Stepping off the ship, our eyes land on the harbour we just docked in. It was a stark contrast to the one we had departed from. The colours were desaturated to the point of being just various shades of grey. Nets, barrels and other fishing equipment were strewn about with reckless abandon in a half-assed attempt to put them to the side. Continuing, we walk farther down, the rickety wooden dock cutting off and changing into solid hard stone. Glad to have ground beneath my feet, I look to Tora, who already had the job scroll in her hand, quietly looking it over.

"Doesn't say where it happened, just that it _did_ happen." She said before sighing "Looks like we're asking around."

"Oh! I know just the place."

Turning on my heel, I quickly walk into a stride, Tora able to easily catch up to me, matching my speed with a few long strides of her own. Making our way through the near decrepit wooden houses, memories were coming back as traversed between each building. Rounding a corner, my eyes land on our destination: Lovecraft's harbour. The local bar and Inn.

"I swear if I had a gold piece for every time I've been in a bar recently, I'd be rich," Tora said.

"Well, complaining won't get us anywhere," I say with a smile. "Come on, let's go."

Continuing, I open the doors and walk through the threshold, going straight for the counter and sitting down at one of the many stools. Tora joins me soon after, quietly sitting next to me as the bartender moves over to us and before I could get a word in, he speaks.

"Your both here about the murder aren't you?" He asks bluntly.

"We are," Tora replies. "Why?"

"Why else would a pair of mercenaries come to an isolated fishing island?" He asked rhetorically.

"That's a fair point," I said. "Can you point us to where we might find a 'Juro'?"

"Of course! He'll be in his store, just near the northern end of town." He said.

"Thank you," I said.

The two of us quickly walking away from the counter and towards the door. Just as we were about to open the front doors, the voice of the barkeep called us back, swiftly catching our attention as I let go of the doors handle.

"I would stay inside if I were you." He said. "It's gotten dark and you don't want to be caught in the open after dark."

Looking out a nearby window, it had indeed darkened, to the point where you could barely see a metre or two before the ambient light of the Inn dissipated into nothing. But there was something about the dark here that made it feel almost sinister. Like it meant warm on those caught within it. Backing away from the front door, my hand instinctually reaches for the handle of my firearm, gripping it tightly while Tora turns to the bartender.

"You said we shouldn't get caught out in the dark." Tora started. "Why?"

"There are thing out there you wouldn't believe."

"What kind of things?" I ask.

The man doesn't speak right away, instead, he looks out the window with a distant stare, his mind clearly wandering a bit before coming back to reality with a quick, but a hard shake of his head.

"Creatures. Monsters summoned from the deep abyss." He replies shakily. "Things that would make the bravest man cower."

The atmosphere in the room immediately changed, the once warm air now felt cold and fearful as the patrons averted their gaze as I looked around, peering down at their drinks or meal, quickly silencing any conversations taking place. Turning away from the door, I release my grip on my gun and start leaning against the counter.

"Well, looks like we're staying here a while," I said. "May as well make the most of it."

Placing a silver coin on the counter, the man quickly takes it and walks over to a cabinet and opens it to reveal an assortment of keys. Grabbing one, he hands it over to us and points to the doorway near the front entrance.

"Room 23. Just go up the stairs turn left and it's at the very end." He said. "Enjoy your stay."

Following his instructions, we found ourselves in a room far comfier than either of us had expected. The room was bigger than we had anticipated, looking more like a large study with two beds of decent size with a generous amount of room around them to move about. A radio was placed on the side table between the beds and seemed to be working. In one of the far corners a moderate vanity table. And all of this was topped off with an ensuite.

"Well isn't this nice," I say with a smile. "Sure wasn't expecting this."

"Can't say I expected it either." Tora said. "how did you know the price?"

"There was a sign outside the front door."

Walking further into the room, we work on settling ourselves in for the night. Stripping ourselves of our equipment, neatly folding our clothes and putting them at the foot of our beds, placing the harder or more rigid pieces on top, making sure to have our weapons near us if anything were to happen at some point during the night. Sitting at the vanity table, I begin working on my hair, trying my best to undo the tight bun.

"So do you think it's true?"

"What do mean?" Tora asked.

Looking at her through the mirror, I see drying her short light brown hair, rubbing a towel through it vigorously, a decent amount of bandages covered her chest, keeping her well-endowed bosom close to her body with a loose pair of joggers to maximise mobility.

"About the creatures the guy was talking about," I reply

"You and I have been in this job for a while," She started. "and in all that time we've faced many different kinds of monsters, beast and everything in between. So yes, it possibly is true."

"Yea your probably right," I said, turning back to the mirror.

Grunting, I finally get my bun loose. Shaking my head, my hair falls and settles nicely an inch above my shoulder. Running my hand through and scratching my scalp, my fingers run through various knots, all painfully coming undone as they pass through the last bit of hair. Grabbing a nearby brush, I run it through much like my fingers, but much more audibly and painfully. After what felt like an eternity, I finally got my hair into a manageable state, able to run the comb through without too many snags.

"You know, you look nice with your hair down," Tora commented.

Peering over my shoulder, I see Tora slipping on a loose-fitting shirt, a sincere smile on her face as her head popped through the top. Looking back the mirror, I absent-mindedly start running my hands through my hair, feeling the soft strands slip through my fingers.

"You think?" I ask.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it."

Humming, I get up from the table and unceremoniously flop down onto the bed, bouncing slightly before settling. Wrapping myself in the surprisingly soft duvet, I close my eyes and sigh as I sink lower into the equally soft bed, Tora more than likely doing the same. Hearing her shuffle, I open my eyes to see her reaching out to put out the candles.

"Good night."

* * *

_Pain and agony are all I felt. Sanguine caked my hands to the wrist as tears and flakes of white blurred my vision as I threw my helmet to the ground, my hands darting to her side in a mad rush to bind the wound closed. Her soft words of comfort did nothing to alleviate the oncoming sorrow. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I gingerly placed my hand on the back of her head and brought it to mine, taking her hand in my own._

_Letting loose a deep breath, the remnants fading in the cold winter night as her hand fell unceremoniously to the ground, leaving me alone as I silently sobbed, her now limp body still within my arms, refusing to loosen as the world around me darkened._

Waking with a yell, I scream as my hands ball tightly into hard, rigid fists. My yells come to a stop, leaving my chest to heave with every deep breath I took to calm myself. Looking down to my hands, three, one-foot long blades protrude out from between each knuckle. Staring at them for a second or two, I relax my hands, the blades retracting quickly back into my hands, the holes left behind closing with a soft squelch soon after. Collapsing back into my pillows, I roll over in my plush bed and quickly notice that was K'teera was nowhere to be seen. Sitting up in my bed, I look around the room and see that her equipment was also gone. She was likely already downstairs waiting for me. She was always was one to wake earlier than most.

It didn't take long for me to get organised, as it was just muscle memory and I let myself go into full autopilot, not fully thinking about what I was doing, letting my hands guide themselves until the deed was finished. Exiting the room and locking the door, I swiftly make my way downstairs, the floorboards creaking under my weight, alerting all to my presence, most notably K'teera, who was munching away at a rather good looking, and rather large, full breakfast.

"Took you long enough!" K'teera said with her usual trademark smile. "It's already eight-fifteen!"

"Just because you get up at six doesn't mean I have to," I said, with a smirk, raising my eyebrow slightly.

"Fair enough." She shrugged before going back to her food.

Sitting down at a stool next to her, the barkeep walks up to me and places a plate similar to K'teera's in front of me, though smaller in size. Raising my eyebrow again, I peered up at him quizzically. Catching the hint, he leans a bit on his side of the counter.

"Your partner here insisted on giving the two of you a full breakfast." He explained. "I couldn't say no."

looking back to K'teera, I couldn't help but let a small smile graces my lips as she tore into her food. She always was ceaselessly considerate of others. Something I always appreciated about her. Looking back down to my plate, I internally shrug and dig in, making sure to not make to much of a mess. Before long, K'teera finished her sizable early morning meal, meanwhile, I was barely halfway through my own.

"Some appetite you have there." The bartender commented as he walked away with her plate.

"I take it after my mother." She happily replied.

The next half-hour or so was spent with me munching away, idle conversation being the only thing that filled the otherwise empty room, going back and forth with whatever topic comes up. Taking a sip of her drink, K'teera looked to me and stared for a few seconds and saw me tightly gripping the neckless around my neck as I ate, before putting her tankard on a nearby coaster.

"Bad dream?" She asked.

"Yea," I reply quickly.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

The time spent afterwards was spent in silence, the sound of other patrons filling the air. Once all was said and done and I finally finished my plate, we made our way outside and set our course for Juro's store, double-checking with the barkeep to make sure we knew where we were going. The town was larger than either of us expected, couple that with the fact everything was uphill, it resulted in us taking longer to get to our destination. Eventually, we made it to the store, sweat sliding down by the side of my face. K'teera, on the other hand, didn't appear to be affected by the hike we had just taken. 

Walking in, it was about what we expected. Various jars and tubs lined the shelves, the tables in the middle of the room bore what appeared to be various types of bath products. Bath bombs, shampoo and deodorants just to name a few. How the hell he got them out here I'll never know. As we made our way in, muffled voices sound off above us and got clearer the further we went. I glance over to K'teera who shrugs slightly in response. Straining, I make out their words.

"Not that it's any of your business," The voice starts. "but fuck you and fuck off, and leave me to my lotions."

There then was a crack, subtle at first, a small could dust falls onto the floor. Then there was a second, louder than the first, more dust falls causing K'teera to sneeze.

"Oop, the floor just cracked, I believe I might fa-"

And before we knew it, the ceiling caved in with a loud crash, showering us in dust and detritus, K'teera getting hit on the head by a falling phone as she waved her hand madly to mitigate the cloud. Attempting to wipe the soot off of my coat, I peer down into the rubble and spot who I assumed to be Juro. Rubbing his head, he glances up and upon noticing us, visibly sags, a deep sigh escaping his lips and as the dust settles.

"Why the hell is a cat so far off the mainland?" I ask as K'teera helps the aged and grey tomcat to his pawed feet.

"You'd be surprised how quiet life can be when living here." He said, turning and sitting on the nearby checkout table, looking up at the now massive hole in the ceiling. "That's gonna take a while to fix."

"So your Juro?" I ask.

"Yea. Why?"

"We heard you may know something about the recent murder of a 'Serrith'?" K'teera responded.

"Yea." He said quietly in an almost solemn tone. "What do you need?"

"Anything you're able to give us." I replied. "can you take us to where he was murdered?"

"Yea." He replied. "Follow me."

Walking out the store, I look across the harbour and see it now packed with people going from here to there doing their various tasks. As we walked, the pungent smell of wet stone filling the otherwise stale air. Bobbing and weaving, we closely followed the tomcat between as we traversed every building and alleyway seamlessly, almost like he went into autopilot. Soon enough, we came to a house, what appeared to be a one storey bungalow, and the best way to describe it would be 'empty'. No lights were on, not even a candle, there were cobwebs in the corners of every window and tape had been set up in front of the entrance. It looked to me like they had cornered it off and forgotten about the place. It just looked dead.

"So this is where it happened?" I asked.

"Yes." Juro. "The house is unlocked, so you can just go in. While you look around, I'll go to the morgue and see if I can get you access to his body."

Nodding, K'teera and I continued on and into the house, tearing away the tape and opening the door with ease and stepped through the threshold while Juro went the opposite direction. The moment we entered the building, something felt...off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I didn't let it bother me. Almost immediately, we found the living room had been sectioned off by yellow tape and assumed this is where it had happened.

Lifting the tape, K'teera steps under and I followed close behind. Upon entering, the first thing I notice is that the place was a wreck like a bomb had gone off in the middle of the living room. The couch was cleaved in two, leaving a deep slash in the wall and floor between the halves. The coffee table was smashed into fragmented splinters, the only thing left behind were the legs and even then they were broken and unusable. The radio was also smashed, the metal casing bent into an odd shape. The place, for lack of a better word, was destroyed.

"Well, I think it's safe to say he went out with a fight," K'teera commented.

"A lot of good that did him," I responded. "Alright. Look around, see what you find."

Striding towards what was once a table, I kneel, lightly rubbing my fingers on the carpet, making sure to not get splinters. Inspecting it closely, I notice what looked to be scorch marks and a portion of the carpet was burned away to expose the wooden floor beneath and on lifting my hand, it was covered in what I assumed to be ash. Clearly, someone came here intending to kill. Glancing to my right, I reach over to the crooked remains of the radio. There was something about the way it was bent, it looked too clean to have been done by hand. 

"K'teera, did you find anything?" I asked, gazing over my shoulder.

"I think so." She said.

"What?"

As I Stood, I stepped over to where I found K'teera to be kneeling. She was knelt by the couch, running her hands along with the deep gashes in the floor before looking back up to me.

"What is it?"

"This slash wasn't made by a weapon." She said quietly. "At least not a conventional weapon. Not by Gailiy standards."

"What do you mean?"

Standing, she wore a scowl usually unseen on her face. Clearly, something was bothering her.

"A normal weapon wouldn't have cut so deep and it's too...straight, too clean to have been done by a physical weapon." She opened her mouth to continue, but instantly hesitated, a look of apprehension and worry dominated her face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We need to see his body. _I_ need to see his body." She replied quickly. "I have a feeling I know who it was, but I need can't say until I do an autopsy."

Marching past me without another word, she swiftly strode out of the house, not bothering to wait for me as she walked with a clear purpose. Just in the nick of time, Juro rounded a corner and spotted K'teera walking quickly towards him. Knowing the question at hand, he spoke before she could get a word in.

"I got you access to the morgue." He stated. "Follow me."

"We just need to ask a few questions first," I said.

"Ok, shoot."

"Did Serrith live here his whole life?" I ask, K'teera pulling out a note pad and quickly scribbling inside it.

"No." He replied quickly. "He came here some seventy years ago after retiring."

"Do you know what he did before coming here?"

"He was...a general of Gailiy's armoured navel division." He said. "Was apart a war that happened near Efrale fifty years ago."

Briefly glancing over to me, K'teera shared the same worried look like me. Looking back to her notepad, she mumbles as she writes the last few words, looking back to Juro once done.

"Do you know if he had any enemies?" I ask.

"Not that I'm aware of." He said. "His service was long and intensive. It's highly possible people."

Nodding, I look back to K'teera who was just writing the last of information the older tomcat had given us and gave me a thumbs-up, wordlessly confirming she was ready to move on.

"Is that all?"

"For now," K'teera replies. "You said you got access to the morgue? Can you take us there?"

Nodding, we leave soon after and in what felt like just a few moments, we stood outside a building, similar in design to the rest, the only indication it held the dead being the sign above the door. Soon, we were descending the steps to the cold mortuary, lead by the morgue caretaker. Metallic hatches lined each side of the walls, our reflections warping in the clean, but aged doors.

Leading us to a hatch, the name 'Serrith' written on a sticky note on the door, the caretaker opens the door. Pulling out a metal bed, a stream of cold air filtered out, causing a shiver to run down my spine. A white cloth laid over the pale body, a single tag tied snuggly around his toe. Pulling the cloth back, K'teera quietly analyzed the pale, almost grey body in front of her. Slapping on a pair of gloves, she began examining Serrith's body for any identifiers for what could have been the cause of his death, Juro and the caretaker leaving to let her work.

"While you do this," I said, catching her attention. "I'm going to head back to the house and see if I can spot anything we may have missed."

"Ok," K'teera responded. "I'll be here when you're finished."

Nodding, I too left the large goosebumps-inducing room, ascending the stairs and exiting the building, swiftly making my way back to the house, getting there in a matter of a few moments. Opening the door, I decided to look around the rest of the house and went from room to room, closely inspecting every nook and cranny I was able to get to. But my efforts bore no fruit, there was nothing more to be found. Going back to the living room, I walk under the tape and back into the living room. looking around, I scanned every possible inch I could, but it was much like the rest of the house, there hadn't been much that we had missed, just a few clumps of dried dirt and small pieces of broken stone.

Just as I was about to give up, I notice something out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I notice a piece of red cloth just barely peeking out from under one half of the couch. Stepping over towards it, I bend down and lift the couch out of the way and pick up the cloth. Twisting it around in my grip, my heart sunk upon seeing what was on the other side as I instantly recognise the gold emblazoned insignia and hastily scramble out the abandoned house.

* * *

Recovering the inanimate body of Serrith and peeling the latex gloves off my hands, I throw them into a nearby bin and lean on the cold metal bed, letting my weight rest on my arms and I let a sigh slowly escape my lips. What I had found did not bode well. As I was about to roll the bed back into its storage area, the sound of frantic and heavy footsteps sounded above me, quickly becoming louder as they come to the stairs leading to the room I stood. The footsteps became louder as they descended into the cold room, revealing a rather troubled looking Tora. Quickly striding towards me, I notice a ripped piece of red cloth within her tight grip and she briefly catches her breath and spoke before I could get even one word in.

"K'teera we have a problem." She stated.

Without another word, she held out her hand, offering me the red cloth within her hand. Taking it, my brow furrows and I let out a sigh as my eyes land on the insignia. A single circle with three spirals meeting in the middle to make a triangle. 

"That just confirmed my suspicions," I reply.

"How?"

Holding out my hand, I show her what I had found. She gives me a quick inquisitive look as she bends down slightly to get a better look at the item in question.

"An arrowhead?"

"I found it in the base of his neck," I said. "Read the inscription."

Raising a brow, she gives me a brief inquisitive look but quickly relents and takes the arrow tip, bringing it close to her face and angling it to shine in the light above, her eyes swiftly scanned over the intricately detailed and smooth obsidian head.

"In death, you are honoured." She reads aloud. "Isn't this an Efralian belief?"

"It is and that particular make of arrow and that phrase are both used exclusively by Kahrs soldiers," I respond. "Couple that with the damage done to the Serrith's house and now there own emblem, I'm now beginning to think the rumoured sightings of Ezlizon ships aren't rumours after all."

"It cannot be that simple," Tora said. "Don't you think all of this is lining up a little _too_ well? All of this just feels...off to me."

"And that's what's bothering me," I reply. "Efrales military are experts when it comes to covert ops. There is no way they would have left such a mess behind them without a reason."

Rubbing my face, I groan as I rack my brain for any form of a coherent plan, but none came, leaving me with me none the wiser for how to proceed. "I just don't know what to do."

"Don't say anything."

"What?"

"There could be a possibility we're wrong about Efralian involvement," Tora remarked. "Neither of us knows what would happen if we throw around false accusations about a possible Efralian assassin killing a resident. But if we don't, and say 'we don't know who it was' and leave it at that, the people here will be no more aware of this."

"And if we're right?"

"...we pay the consequences."

Nodding, I sigh as I grab the handgrip near the end of the metal bed and lightly push it back into place and close the hatch door with a loud bang, the sound echoing ominously around the room as it thuds into place and made my way towards the stairs. Walking out the mortuary, I briefly stop to thank the caretakers for their time and continued down the path to Juro's store, having memorised the route to take to get there, Tora catching up with me soon after. Walking up the small hill, we finally make it to his store, the journey no easier than the first, Tora stopping momentarily to catch her breath. Entering, the place was in no better shape than we had left it in, though most of the dust had been swept away. Lightly knocking on one of the few intact tables, Juro pokes his head out through a doorway near the back.

"Oh, it's just you two." He said, fully entering the room and sitting on the nearby checkout desk. "Please tell me you have something."

I sigh as I step forward, trying my best to give him my most sincere look, doing all I could to make it seem I didn't know anything.

"I'm sorry, we did everything we could, but we were unable to find anything," I said. "We don't know who it could have been."

Juro sighed while his posture sank, his expression changing from hopeful to saddened acceptance as he rests his elbows on his knees, cradling his head in his hands.

"I knew it wouldn't be good." He said before raising his head from his hands. "So that's it then? There's nothing more you can do?"

"I'm sorry Juro," I replied. "We're going to have to put this as a cold case. There's nothing more we can do."

There was a moment of palpable silence, the air-filled tension and uncertainty causing me to start fidgeting. Until Juro gave out a shaky sigh, folding his arms as his head hung slightly, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat.

"I suppose that completes your contract then," he said, holding his hand ou expectedly.

Reaching into her cylinder, Tora tentatively passed the scroll over to the aged cat, who pulled out a pen from one of his pockets and began writing near the bottom. Once finished, he handed the scroll back and sat back on the table behind him, his posture and expression downcast and lethargic.

"I do have to thank you." He said. "For at least trying."

"We wish you all the best," Tora said.

And with that, we turned and left without another word uttered from both parties and followed the path down the hill to the town. We continued to the dock, briefly stopping by the Inn to make sure we had collected everything we had and arrived at the harbour. The Captain who brought us just so happened to be there to raring and ready to go. Looking out from the pier and to the ocean beyond, I couldn't help but wonder what this could all mean. If there was more to it or if it was something else.

"K'teera! Are you coming or what!"

Looking away, I see Tora patiently waiting for me, tapping her for slightly on the wooden floor. Smiling, I walk up beside her, joining my partner as we walk up the plank to the awaiting ship above. This started as a simple investigative job, but it soon turned into something else. This all pointed to a great many things and none of them good. All I could do was hope beyond hope that I was wrong. I guess given patience, only time will be able to tell. Because patience, after all, is a virtue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an absolute bitch to write, took WAY longer than I expected. I suppose doing a complete rewrite _and _losing half your progress does take your time__
> 
> _If anyone spots any mistakes, inconsistencies or contradictions, please tell me and I'll fix them._  
>  Constructive criticism is always appreciated.  
> Until next time, TTFN!


	3. "An Ally Made"

“’ It'll be simple’, he said. ‘It’ll be done in no time’ he said. Yeah right.” I said as I slowly traversed the thick forest alone, carefully pushing aside branches and swinging my large knife to slice any low hanging vines.

Roughly a week ago, a small neighbouring town had an incident regarding a small feral dragon. There were no casualties, thankfully, but there was a report that it was heading our way and that put Kain's citizens at risk, so I was given a contract and was tasked with hunting it, with Tora having taken some other job. Equip in heavier gear than what I would often carry, I set out, keeping a watchful eye out for any sign of the dragon. Hours passed by as the task proved to be far harder than I anticipated, with the vast majority of the forest either looking the same as to what I had already seen or turning me around and sending me back to where I had come from. But eventually, much to my delight, I come across a branch limply hanging from a thick trunk.

Striding towards the branch, I realize it hadn't been snapped like I first thought. It had been torn apart. Looking around, I spot a series of more branches almost ripped from their trunks and I finally find what I had been looking for. Tracks. Kneeling I looked down at the tracks and analyse the sizeable imprints in the damp dirt beneath me, taking in every little detail. Reaching down, I press my hand into the ground, roughly matching the depth and remove it. The prints were rounded off, while mine had sharp edges.

They had been here for a while, being no more than twenty-four hours. The print is no more than a foot and a half long and two-foot in width, indicating to me it could not be any taller than ten feet and thirty foot long. Looking up, I notice the tracks looked to be sporadic in nature, each print being made here and there, almost like it had been stumbling. Upon further inspection of my surrounding, I find a leaf, the dried blood on its surface contrasting with the vibrant green.

Looking up, I quickly become aware of large scrapes and scratches on the sides of trees and branches were snapped like twigs, now limply hanging from the thick trunk they originated from, leaving a potential trail to where ever it fled to. Following the trail of destruction, I come to an opening in the tree line and past it was a cave. It seemed unremarkable at first, but upon closer survey, I notice a rather sizable scorch mark on the ground near I had stopped and a small amount of ash clinging to the ground around it.

Just as I was to move, a large pale green drake limped out from the shadows of the cave, dried blood caking on and between its hardened scales on the left shoulder and down its arm. The large asymmetrical spikes covering its back were cracked or bent, showing it to have survived many battles. Smoke bellowed slightly from its square muzzle, parting as it passed the single horn on its snout.

But what caught my attention was not the battle-worn body or the heads of spears partially buried into its back. What caught my attention was, however, its eyes. The once clever and scheming intellect of this mighty beast was now replaced with nought but feral rage, lacking any form of sane coherence or thought. It was now broken beyond repair.

Standing from the foliage, I swiftly strode forwards, gripping my firearms handle tightly in my hands. The beast heard my sudden approach, snapping it's to face me, a small amount of froth dripping out its mouth and onto the dry dirt ground beneath it.

Slamming the ground with its front claws, the drake reared its head and released a mighty bellow and charged. Taking the initiative, I ran forward as well, pulling my firearm from my belt and aimed for Its face. The incendiary round hit it on the side of the face, singeing the thick scales, leaving a smoking black mark. The beast roared in pain and slammed its eyes shut, but the shots, however, failed to slow the drake down. Rolling out of the way of the charging brute, the drake barrelled past me, skidding to a stop with a bloody intent clear in its rabid yellow eyes.

Charging again with baffling speed and kicking up a trail of dust behind it, the drake's large claw slammed my side before I could react, hurling me into the wall beside the cave, the steel breastplate taking most of the force of the blow, but a few ribs were definitely broken. I stood quickly with a groan and saw the beast beating its snout into the ground and the beast charged once more.

As the drake was upon me, I rolled to the side as the beast rammed into the stone wall, the spike's on its head breaking or cracking from the impact, a few bits of rock lodging themselves between its scales. Reaching to my belt, I grabbed a bronze ball, a dwarven made grenade. Pressing a small button primed it and threw it at the beast. It shook it's head and came out of its daze, the beeping grenade caught its attention. Peering down at the metallic orb, it sniffed the grenade curiously shortly redirecting its gaze towards me.

After a moment, the beeping stopped and the area was engulfed in a friary orange aura and the drake was caught within the ensuing explosion, sending it reeling back howling in anguish as the searing heat consumed the left side of its face, its eyes melted in its socket, the scales and flesh on the beasts face slowly melting away, revealing the scorched skull beneath.

Taking this opportunity, I ran as quickly as I could and jumped on it's back and pulled my sword from my scabbard and plunged it into the drake's neck and twisted. Roaring, it tried it's best to rid me off it's back, bucking wildly and ramming its form into anything it could find, all while I wiggled the blade to drive it deeper. Slamming into the rocky wall, my sword came loose and I was sent over the opposite side. Grabbing onto one of its many spines, I pull my sword back and attempt to pierce into its unprotected belly. My grip on its spine slipped, sending me to underneath the behemoth, barely hanging on by the loose scaled stomach. Taking this opportunity, I brought my sword back as far as I was able to and plunged it deep into the beasts soft underbelly and pulled down as hard as I could.

A split second later, I was showered in a deep crimson, flakes of scales flicking off my now wet armour. The drake let out a high pitched cry, crumbling as its innards dropped out the gaping hole in its stomach in a steaming pile, my free arm shooting up to cover my face, though doing little to shield me from the revolting stench as I let go mid-fall. I roll and land on my back and lay there for a moment or two before I'm shaken from my moment of respite. The beast was somehow still alive.

Walking over to it, I grab my sword off the now blood-soaked ground and I make my way behind it to the hole I had made in the nape of its neck. Offering a small prayer, I bury my blade to the hilt, the drake writhed for an instant before the mighty beast fell limp. Removing my blade, I peer down at myself, a large amount of dirt and mud, along with the still-wet blood and fresh guts hung from my armour. I shake my hands in a futile attempt to rid myself of the mess and made my way towards a nearby rock, which was big enough for me to rest upon. Checking over my equipment, I quickly find that the steel breastplate I wore was barely hanging onto its leather harness, being bent and scraped beyond repair. It was a good thing Tora has more. Everything else was of a far more repairable state.

Reaching into my satchel, I grab a somehow still intact bottle, the dark blue liquid contents inside swirling madly inside. Popping the cork, the smell wafts into my nose overpowering the smell of blood and guts permeating my body. Holding my nose closed, I hastily pour the foul liquid and swallow, shuddering as I feel the liquid make its way down my throat. Not a second later, I groan and lightly grab my sides as I feel the broken ribs move and shift back into place, a sickening crunch accompanying them as they reset. After a few minutes of this, I let out a sigh of relief as the awful act of artificial healing is now complete.

Looking back to the drake, I strode back over to it as quickly as my swiftly aching muscles allowed, knife in hand and began pulling teeth and scales as proof of a completed job, placing them in a sturdy leather pouch. Once done, I depart, quickly finding the dirt path and slowly trek back to Kain. The walk back to town was a slow one, the fight, while being relatively short, was physically draining and had slowed me to a snail's pace. But the journey ended, as my eyes landed on the quaint little town as I passed the tree line and the reinforced fence.

Striding through the town, the citizens moved aside for the blood-drenched mercenary, trying their best to mitigate the foul smell emitting off of me. Soon, however, I thankfully found myself lumbering up the tree shielded path to home. Stepping around the side of the small Minka, I grab a bucket and proceed to fill it to the brim and hefted it over my head, showering me in a cold chill. Taking a moment to revel in the coolness, I failed to notice the sound approaching footsteps.

"Back already?"

Spinning on my heels, I grabbed my firearm and brought to my eye level, aiming down its iron sights to who had snuck up on me as my shoulders tensed in anticipation. To my surprise, it was none other than Tora, holding up her empty hands as she gazed at me silently. Sighing, I put the firearm back in its place on my belt and leaned against on the table next to me.

"Sorry," I said.

"It's ok," She replied coming up to my side. "You've been awfully jumpy as of late."

"Yea," I reply. "Though I would rather not talk about it."

"Well, if you ever change your mind," She started. "You know where I am."

Walking farther behind our home, I sit on a thick tree stump and begin cleaning my equipment. I start by polishing my knife and sword, using my sharpening stone until they have their usual fine edge and start taking apart and meticulously washing each piece of my firearm and carefully putting them back together. Tora herself was also cleaning her belongings as well, though if her clothes were to any indicator, she was left untouched from her own job. Making my way inside, I quickly get into the shower room and start washing, stripping myself beforehand and placing the intensely dirty clothes in the hamper near the door.

It took longer than I had expected, but eventually, I got the blood and gore out my hair and had changed into a fresh set of clothes, ones similar to my usual but with a slight fur neck and sleeves for the cooling weather. Stepping out into the living room, Tora was sitting at the table in the middle of the room quietly, the radio having been switched on at some point.

"- _and with Isheen's lack of an appearance at his anniversary, it has gotten the people speculating, Many conspiracy theories have arisen over the past week, but only recently have they been addressed. "It is no secret that his health is slowly declining." The correspondent said. "Because of this, he is currently deliberating over who should be the heir to the throne. And as a result of this course of action, could not make an appearance." And now, time for the weath-_ "

Reaching over, Tora quickly switched off upon noticing my presence and turned to face me.

"Well, you looked worse for wear," She said.

"Yea, the drake proved to be tougher than I expected," I replied. "but I took care of it."

"I saw that."

There was a moment of awkward silence. It was only fleeting, lasting no more than a few seconds. But it very much there. Thankfully, I was quick to break the awkward hush.

"So is that you finished?"

"Yup." She said. "I handed in my bounty before I came here."

"Oh, so it was a bounty you took?"

"Mm-hmm." She replied. "Nothing exciting, just some bail jumper. What about you?"

"No," I reply. "I'll hand in these teeth and scales and pick one more job and be done for the day."

"Well let's get to it then."

Standing, the two of us left our home and down the well-worn path to the main market street. Everyone we passed also wore slightly heavier clothing in hopes to better shield themselves from the gradually cooling autumn air. The stalls we passed were now few, some of the stores having been closed from the upcoming holiday week. Greeting those who waved to us, Tora buttoned up her long grey coat. She was never bothered by the cold but always did her best to keep herself warm. Soon, we arrived at The Contract and walked to the back, flashing the guard our sigil and continued through the door as he stood aside.

Once again we found Derro sitting at his desk, practically face first in the scrolls and parchment in front of him. He didn't seem to notice our entrance, so Tora closed the door slightly harder than normal, just enough to catch his attention but not enough to break the door. As the door made contact with its frame, Derro jumped, his hand shooting towards his firearm in his belt but relaxed upon seeing it was us.

"Ah, girls!" He said. "I trust you have good news?"

"I do," I said

Unlatching the pouch from my belt, I placed it on the table, making sure to miss the parchment. Derro seemed unbothered as the powerful coppery stench of blood wafted to his nose and he took the pouch and peered into it from a distance. Reaching inside, he pulled out a single scale and tooth. Bringing a nearby wall-mounted light closer to him, he also pulled a magnifying glass and inspected the scale and tooth closely for a minute or two before nodding and placed them back in the pouch.

"I believe a payment in order," He said.

Reaching under the table, he pulled out a sizable leather pouch and placed it next to the blood-stained one. I grab the pouch and bounced it in my hand and nodded and strapped it to my belt.

"I gotta hand it to ya, you've done everyone a great favour," He said. "Damn dragons are becomin' a real nuisance. Their poppin' up all over the place."

He sighed as he leaned back into his chair, looking out the nearby window to his right and gained a look not suited for his features. Trepidation. It was slight. Subtle. A blink and you miss it moment but it was there.

"Anyway," He said. "You girls wantin' anything else?"

"Do you have another job?" I ask.

"Ooh, I gave my last one to the Black Talon Company." He said. "Come back tomorrow and I should have somethin' then."

Nodding, Tora and I turned to leave and had just made it to the door and began turning the handle before Derro's voice piped up quickly, catching our attention.

"Actually there _is_ somethin' you could do for me."

Turning once more, we made our way back to his desk and he indicated for us to sit and we did so. He picked up the parchment and scrolls littered on his desk and clasped his hands together and gained a far more serious look.

"I sent out a scout to investigate some possible Prowler activity near the Gorthin Opening," He said. "That was three days ago."

"Prowlers? What are they doing this far west?" I ask.

"Nothin' good," Derro replied.

"And you want us to find him and if possible, take out the Prowlers," Tora said.

"Yes."

"We'll do it," I replied. "Just give us his last known location."

Standing, Derro walked over to a filing cabinet and pulled open one of the drawers and pulled out yet another scroll and made his way back to his desk. Placing the scroll and rolled it out to reveal it was, in fact, a map of the surrounding area and indicated to a forested area.

"He was last seen in the eastern section of Whitetail Woods, by the mountain near The Gorthin Opening," He said. "That's your best starting place."

"Can we get a description of him?" Tora asked as I pull out my notepad. "We can't go looking for him if we don't know what he looks like."

"Medium height. Light brown hair, thick Verdi style beard. Has a brown leather shearling jacket," Derro listed off.

"Name?" Tora asked.

"Jin Dorin," he said. "That enough?"

"Should be," I replied as I finish writing the details on my notepad and put it back in my satchel.

"Now, since this technically isn't an official job, I have no contract to give you," Derro said. "But don' worry, you will get paid."

"Good enough for me," I said, with Tora humming in agreement

Standing, Tora and I make for the door, this time walking through without interruption. We continue on passed Town as we already had what we would need for the job. On we walked, passed the dark forest surrounding the town of Kain and onto comparatively brighter lands, though still practically overrun by trees much like its neighbour. It took us the better part of half an hour, but we eventually made without trouble, passing travellers who waved warmly while they spoke amongst themselves as we walked by. We continue down the path for a few minutes until we came upon a familiar sight.

The Gorthin Opening: a large crack in the ground stretching on for several miles along the border of Ordean and Coredon. No one knows how it formed or why. But that's another story.

"Well let's hope he didn't fall in."

"Right, Derro said he was last spotted here," Tora said turning to face me. "Start looking for clues."

* * *

Searching proved to be far harder than we had initially expected. Even with K'teera's skills in tracking, it proved to be more of a challenge. Pushing aside bushes and branches to inspect the ground beneath, peeking inside the smallest of nooks and crannies for even the slightest hint. Scratching the back of my neck, I stand from my crouching position and gaze around the heavily forested area and my eyes land on a peculiar sight. Through the thicket, I spot the silhouette of a person. I squint my eyes to try and see what it was I was looking at. And what I saw surprised me. They were tall, draped in black robes with heavy pauldrons and breastplate and wore a form-fitting helmet with a T-shaped visor.

"Hey, Tora!"

Jumping slightly, I take my eyes off of the figure and briefly look in the direction of where K'teera's voice came from before looking back. To my shock, the figure was nowhere to be seen and as I look around, my suspicions were confirmed: it disappeared. Looking around the immediate area, I found no indicator to where they might have gone. They seemed strangely familiar, like the blurry memory of a fading dream or a murky recollection of a long-gone event. But I couldn't put a figure on it.

"Tora! I think I found something!"

"Ok! On my way!" I replied.

Taking one swift glance to the spot, I make my way over to K'teera, who was crouched down by a diverting path from the main road that was covered by a small bush. The path itself led up alongside the mountain Derro mentioned for a couple of metres before curving off farther into the forest. Crouching beside her, I gaze down at the thin track and spot a set a foot-prints. There was only a set of three prints but assuming The Prowlers had made a camp, there could be more.

"We should move with caution," I said.

"Good idea," K'teera said. "Let's go."

Following the prints and keeping ourselves as close to the path's edge as possible, we moved slowly through the bushes, trees and other shrubberies as quietly as possible, trying our best to keep a low profile. We followed the path for a few minutes in silence, not a single word uttered from either of us since we started on the trail, the only sound to accompany us being the bird and other wildlife around us.

As we got farther along the path, I noticed the tracks had all merged into a singular track and with sporadic nature of the tracks behind us, it made it impossible to determine how many there was. Stopping, I hear the sound of voices ahead of us and signal to K'teera to slow her pace. Crouching down, we come to the edge of a relatively small tree line and stop just outside an outcropping, a massive boulder making for an ideal shelter. And it would appear the Prowlers had the same thoughts.

* * *

Shuffling my way up to Tora, I begin surveying the area for anything that might make our job more difficult than it needs to be. My eyes shift from here to there, taking and processing anything that could be useful to our success. There appeared to be only a handful of Prowlers present and they appeared to have set up a temporary camp, hastily put together chairs dotted the area and a single burned-out campfire was placed in the middle and three cages on the fringes of the camp.

"I think that's our man," Tora whispered, pointing to the cages.

Looking back to the cages, I squint and see the man Tora pointed out did indeed match the description Derro gave us, only he was in bad shape. His jacket was littered with various holes and he was hung up by chains on his wrists from the roof of his cage, but he was still very much alive. The cage next to him was also occupied, but I couldn't make out the details. Preparing to get up, Tora grabs my shoulder and holds me in place and points just a little to our left to a couple of Prowlers patrolling the perimeter. Nodding my head in thanks, I settle back down.

"So you heard about Skalgig?" One of them asks.

"No, why?" The other replied.

"Some of the guys who travelled from the islands around the area have said the volcano has been reactivated. Said the place was up in flames," He said. "Why do you think the dragons are just appearing?"

"That would explain it," The other replied. "That doesn't bode well."

"Yea, some of the prophets are saying it's the signal for the end of the world," He continued. "I don't buy it."

"Yea. So anyway, what'd you think of the haul he got from the village ways back?"

"Oh it was great," He replied. "Got some Khatorum tail out of it."

"How was it?"

"Eh it sloppy, the bitch wouldn't shut the fuck up," He said. "Had to put her down, wasn't worth the trouble."

Looking to Tora, I could see she was having trouble keeping her anger down, her gloved fists clenched tight and her face contorted into pure fury. She closed her eyes and her face softened and she calmly took her gloves off. Reaching o my belt, I pulled out my firearm. I knew what was about to happen.

Pushing herself up, she stood tall and brought her hands up and once again clenched them tight, her knuckles turning white. In a flash, her claws extended and before the Prowlers could react, their bodies hit the ground with a loud thud, a gurgled spurt of blood coming from each stump. Jumping up, I brought my firearm to my eye level and aimed to the nearest Prowler to me and shot. His head erupted in a shower of blood and bone, flecks of grey matter flung to the ground as the limp body fell.

All Prowlers in the area came rushing to the commotion, armed and ready, the handful now turned into a dozen. With a primal yell, Tora ran full speed to the nearest and jumped at him, plunging her blades into the man's chest and tore out his throat with her slightly sharpened teeth. Reaching to my belt again, I throw my large knife to the head of the nearest Prowler and shot the one next to him, his side exploding in a mass of chunks, the both of them falling before the could react. Moving farther into the camp, my sights snaps to another, blowing a messy fist-sized hole in his chest

Stowing my gun away on my belt, I grab my knife and approach another Prowler. Going for a stab with his spear, I swat it away and stab his side before dragging it across his stomach, his entrails spewing to the ground, limply hanging from the gaping hole. His screams of agony silenced as I drive my knife through his chin in one elegant motion, the tip poking through the top of his head as I gave it a slight twist. Picking up his spear, I throw it through the throat of a Prowler behind Tora, severing his head from his shoulders. A trail of bodies led behind her as she went about her rampage. She looks to the body briefly before nodding her thanks, one that I return.

"Don't come any further!"

My head snaps to the origin of the voice and saw it was yet another Prowler. Only it was what he held that was a cause for concern. In his grasp was a Daemon, who I assumed to be the other prisoner, a knife held to her throat. Her eyes looked to us for hope as her small frame could do nothing to fight the man off and her rounded ears fell further than they normally would for her species. She was simply terrified and it wasn't hard to see why.

"Come any closer and she-"

Without thinking, I drew my gun in an instant and before he could finish his sentence, his head, much the others, exploded in a graphic display of gore and bone. Falling to the ground, the Daemon tried to scramble away from the dead body, her thin digitigrade legs doing their best to get her away. Tora retracted her claws and, as she was closer, tried to comfort the Daemon as I went to free the man we were after. Opening the cage, he let out a low chuckle as I break the locks of the chains he was bound to.

"Ah, Fendral's not gonna be happy about this," He said as he rubbed his wrists. "Thanks for the save friend."

"I take it your Din then?" I ask.

"That I am,"

Upon getting a clearer look at us, his brow furrows slightly as he looks between me and Tora, who was still comforting the now less stressed Daemon.

"Wait, I know you guys," He said. "Gods, with your reputation, I thought You'd have horns or something."

"We had filed them down," Tora said dryly.

"Uh-huh," He replied slowly. "Well, I best be reporting back in with Derro."

"Wait. Weren't you held captive for three days?" I ask. "Shouldn't you be going to a healer?"

"I was but they didn't do anything to me." He replied. "Kept me fed and watered. But I'll head to a healer just in case they did do something."

Turning to leave, Din makes it to the tree line before stopping and turning around and walks back towards us, lightly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hey, uh, I just want to say thank you. For getting me out this mess," He said. "If you're ever going by Ursus, look me up in a town called Kongo. I owe you guys."

And with that, he left, quickly breaking the tree line and away from the mess we left behind. Peering over my shoulder, I am reminded of the other previous occupant of the Prowler camp. Walking up to Tora and the Daemon. Kneeling, I assess her physical condition. she seemed to be in good shape; her red skin lacking any form of cuts or bruises, though she appeared slightly malnourished. Other than that she was alright.

"What to do with you,"

"I think that's sorted already," Tora said.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard of a life debt?" Tora asked.

"Possibly," I reply. "But give me a refresher."

"Basically when a person consciously saves someone following a certain life path, the saved person is obligated to pledge their life to protect and look after their saviour, even to the point of sacrificing their own life, should they deem it necessary." Tora started. "And since it just so happens you were directly responsible for saving our friend here, who follows said path, she has pledged herself to you."

"Huh," I uttered after a moment. "Well, that's not how I thought today would turn out."

Looking to the Daemon, the black sclera in her eyes created a stark but pleasant contrast to her white pupils. It was then I was missing a piece of crucial information, one of immense importance.

"What's your name?"

" _Jast Mariil_ ," She signed.

"Oh. Your mute," I stated.

She nodded her head quietly and briefly looked between me and Tora in an almost expectant way before signing again.

" _What are your_ _names_?" She asked.

"I'm K'teera," I answered.

"I'm Tora,"

We sit there for a few moments, an almost awkward silence quickly filling the air. Before it could stay long, Tora, as always, broke it.

"Well we can't just leave you here," She said, standing to her full height. "You want to come home with us?"

Jast nodded happily in answer.

"Are you able to walk?" I ask.

She simply Looks down at herself before looking back up, an apprehensive look in her eyes.

" _I think so._ "

Lightly pushing herself up, we stand ready in case she was to fall. She almost falls but grabs onto Tora's shoulder for balance before she did and gingerly let's go. Taking a step, she stutters slightly but her wobbles lessen with each step taken. In no time at all, we were soon on the road back to Kain after a few minutes of patiently waiting. The journey back to town was a quick one, as we were not far out for this unofficial job. During which we got to know the Daemon who now accompanied us. She's a gentle soul, timid even, generally keeping to herself. That and she seemed quite a jovial one despite where she had just come from. 

Before long, we found ourselves crossing the border into the all too familiar town. Walking through town, Jast stuck close to the two of us, clearly hesitant in this new place. She drew a few curious looks from the residents, possibly interested in the new arrival accompanied by the towns local mercenaries but quickly went back to their activities. Rounding a corner, we began ascending the slightly worn, gravelly incline to our home, shielded by the large bonsai trees overhead and the Minka swiftly made itself known. Stopping just a few metres away, Jast looked at it, unsure how to proceed. Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and lightly led her inside. As she made her way inside, her paws padded soles made a light pat as they came into contact with the wooden floor.

"I guess now is a good time to say," I started. "Welcome home."


End file.
